VM & Display Trade Show Throwback

So back in April this year I attended the VM & Display trade show at the Business Design Centre in London. It was my second time visiting a trade show, the first one I attended was Meet the Manufacturer in 2015, which is more aimed at buyers and designers as it's more about textiles and sourcing fabrics. I was really excited to finally be immersed in all things visual! I met some amazing people who were really welcoming and helpful. I used the opportunity to get some opinions on my dissertation question for university regarding bricks and mortar stores vs. e-commerce and how they can stay relevant. 

There was such a vast array on display at the trade show and I will definitely be attending the next one. From mannequins to training days, there were stalls to suit everyone who was attending. There was quite a lot about virtual reality and how this can be implemented into stores to create a shopping destination and I thoroughly enjoyed watching my friend have a go on the virtual reality machine. One of the most fascinating things I learnt about VR was just how complex it can be. A gentleman called Malcom from one of the VR stalls was explaining to me how one store used a VR system where customers would make a cup of coffee. In reality the store would get infused by the smell of coffee to create a completely 4d experience. I really think virtual reality is going to become something massive in retail and I'm excited to see what the advances are when I attend the next VM & Display trade show. 

Of course, the stalls themselves were all completely amazing, some bonkers, but still amazing. Some were completely covered in real grass, mirrors or as you can see from one of the pictures above, there was a giant sofa and a winter wonderland. It was also good to see one of the corgis on display that I had worked with when I did my work experience with Selfridges the year before. One of the most prominent concepts that I can remember when I think back to the trade show was the selfie fitting room. I remember the ladies asking for mine and my friends opinion and we both thought it was great. With interchangeable backgrounds and different fabrics I think the selfie fitting room concept is certainly something that I can see being implemented in most of the stores on our high-streets. 

I would recommend the VM & Display trade show to anyone interested in visual and retail as it was such a great experience and opportunity to meet people and be inspired.